NH Democrats: School Choice is Only for Children who can Afford it

Yesterday, the New Hampshire House of Representatives voted to pass Senate Bill 193 (SB 193), AN ACT establishing education freedom savings accounts for students. The goal of the bill is to allow parents, who choose to set up an Education Freedom Savings Account (ESA), to receive a small portion of the taxpayer dollars they are already paying to the state back, to use for their child’s educational needs as they see fit.

There’s been a lot of lies and misinformation spread by Democrats and of course, New Hampshire Unions, but the main purpose of the bill is to allow children to have the best education possible. Not every parent can afford to pay high property taxes, which are mostly spent on local public schools, and then turn around and pay tuition to send their child to a private school that best serves their child’s needs.

ESAs will help give parents more choices for their children if they are not in a public school that is meeting their child’s needs. Some children thrive in public schools, others do not. A parent knows better than a government official, their child’s educational needs. SB 193, is another option for parents, especially those who cannot afford to send their children elsewhere.

Unfortunately, Democrats are only for school choice if a child’s parent can afford it. There are many examples of hypocrisy in New Hampshire. For example, Executive Councilor, Andru Volinsky, well-known for his Christian Religious bigotry and anti-school choice position, actually sent his own children to an elite private school in the state. There’s nothing wrong with this except he doesn’t want the same choices for poor children whose parents are also paying tax dollars to support public education.

Volinsky, like New Hampshire State Representative Debra Altschiller, who also sends her child to private school, is vehemently against any legislation that offers all children, especially poor children, an option to receive a better education.

It’s this elitist attitude that is extremely disturbing. Shouldn’t everyone want the best education for all children, despite their zip code and despite their parent’s economic status? It seems Democrats do not.

Opponents of SB 193 have made their position quite clear, it’s about money and government-run schools, not about what is best for New Hampshire children. A majority of Republicans have been working extremely hard to get this legislation passed so more children can have the best educational opportunities available to them.

New Hampshire Democrats believe they know better than Granite State parents how to educate their own children. They also don’t believe poor children should have the same opportunities as wealthy children.